josh #fundie

josh #fundie forum.myspace.com

I believe that some people can't believe in God because they can't. This is part of my worldview that God created everything in what is called theistic evolution. IOTW's God created all of the animals, and in what we call animals are beings that look like us but don't have the necessary component of a soul. This theory of mine explains who Cain's wife is. In short, there are people ( who I wouldn't call human) that are just as smart as us, because they have to be. It's a survival instinct. They just can't believe in God, because a it doesn't occur to them to, like dogs or cats...

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old comment by David D.G.

Actually, there have been speculations of a "God gene" that causes some people to be predisposed toward spiritualism. I guess that, according to josh, this would be the gene that carries the soul.
Of course, spirituality is one thing, while existence of a soul is quite another. The idea that an alleged actual intangible spirit would have the faintest thing to do with tangible biology is ludicrous -- not just from a scientific standpoint, but from a theological one as well. It would imply that there is a distinct limit on free will for these nominally human but soulless beings and that belief in God/Jesus would have no bearing whatsoever for them, that they could not be "saved" from oblivion (or worse) even if they wanted to. ~David D.G.

old comment by Szena

[["How can someone believe that it's a gene that causes humans to believe in god,"//

Someone is taking science out of context.

Dean Hamer, chief of gene structure at the National Cancer Institute, not only claims that human spirituality is an adaptive trait, but he also says he has located one of the genes responsible, a gene that just happens to also code for production of the neurotransmitters that regulate our moods. Our most profound feelings of spirituality, according to a literal reading of Hamer's work, may be due to little more than an occasional shot of intoxicating brain chemicals governed by our DNA. "I'm a believer that every thought we think and every feeling we feel is the result of activity in the brain," Hamer says.

(from the Time magazine article on his research)

old comment by Anon-e-moose

"I believe that some people can't believe in God because they can't."

No, it's because he can't prove his existence to me personally, to my satisfaction. You & your so-called 'beliefs' based on your so-called 'Bible' don't enter into it.

"This is part of my worldview that God created everything in what is called theistic evolution."

No, it's just your refusal to acknowledge that not everyone has the same 'beliefs' as yours. Or lack of such. Must be cold in that river in Egypt, josh.

"IOTW's God created all of the animals, and in what we call animals are beings that look like us but don't have the necessary component of a soul."

Prove the 'soul' exists. Oh that's right, you can't. Therefore it doesn't exist.

"This theory of mine explains who Cain's wife is. In short, there are people ( who I wouldn't call human) that are just as smart as us, because they have to be. It's a survival instinct."

Or we live our lives by the simple rules 'Treat others as you would like them to treat you. 'I wouldn't like to be killed/harmed, nor would I like my property stolen/damaged, so why should I want to do the same to others?'. 'Commit acts of gratuitous kindness'. 'Be good for goodness' sake'. See? All the morals you'll ever need. No 'God' required.

"They just can't believe in God, because a it doesn't occur to them to, like dogs or cats..."

Dogs & cats occur, when they mate (and that's dog x dog, and cat x cat; genetic incompatibilities, and all that jazz), just as 30% of people are caused by accidents. Cats & dogs exist. People exist. Your 'God' doesn't.

You do the maths, josh.

There's obviously an evolutionary link between the development of human-level intelligence and that of religiosity, then a historical link between post-agricultural societies and large organized religions. The "religious gene", that'd only be turned on in some humans is more conjectural. In any case, there are many theistic evolutionists, but they usually don't deny souls to non-believers. It would be absurd to link the non-material, the supernatural, like a soul, to a particular gene, a physical thing. And no evidence was ever established to support pseudoscientific claims that the brain is some kind of quantum antenna to the spiritual. Then as others explained well, people can start or stop believing, indicating that it's more complex than a gene.

“I believe that some people can't believe in God because they can't.”
Well, that’s a neat shortcut. Can’t blame people for rejecting evidence if they’re not capable of doing so.

“This is part of my worldview”
Not an ounce of support, but there you go.

“that God created everything in what is called theistic evolution. IOTW's God created all of the animals, and in what we call animals are beings that look like us but don't have the necessary component of a soul.”
Ah. Josh has the special gift of detecting souls. that could be dangerous, what?

"This theory of mine”
more of a rationalization. So you don’t blame God for sending nonpeople to hell.

“explains who Cain's wife is.”
So, humans and these beasts are capable of having children together? That would make this bestiality, no?

“In short, there are people ( who I wouldn't call human) that are just as smart as us, because they have to be. It's a survival instinct”
So, the only difference you can detect is that they disagree with you. Therefore, only YOU have souls. Just a TEENSY bit arrogant.

“They just can't believe in God, because a it doesn't occur to them to, like dogs or cats...”
Can’t say it doesn’t OCCUR to me. I ask that question every time a jackass with a bible throws up another attempt to villifiy atheistss as lesser beings, rather than spend ANY time actually justifying their beleif in the cosmic madman they bow down to.

josh #fundie forum.myspace.com

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